Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Bridgewater grades A− overall, 88th of 249 graded towns in Virginia, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It is healthier than 86% of U.S. towns and crime is low: it reports less per resident than 84% of U.S. towns. It also does better than most on incomes: the median household earns $75K. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: homes are expensive, about $374K for a typical one and 5 times the Harrisonburg metro’s $75K median household income. Bridgewater’s average trip to work is 15 minutes, below both the Virginia town median (27 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Bridgewater is home to Bridgewater College. Among 86 Virginia towns, just 8 have a lower property crime rate than Bridgewater.
Where Bridgewater beats most towns.
5,644 counted in 2010 and 6,596 in 2020; an estimated 6,924 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 5% since 2020, after 16.9% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Virginia), ordered by how far Bridgewater is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 390 in 1880, 6,596 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1907 and 5 maps from 1941 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bridgewater, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Bridgewater.
Bridgewater pairs an A− overall with homes cheaper than the Virginia norm, is shaped by its college students and fares better on crime within Virginia than nationally.
3.9 miles of trail in 13 parks and preserves. The trail density in Bridgewater is 1.6 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Oakdale Community Park, at 36 acres.
| Bridgewater | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.6 miles per square mile | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.1% | 4.7% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Crist Farm Walking Trails | 1.2 mi | 20 |
| 2. Wildwood Park | 0.6 mi | 10 |
| 3. Cooks Creek Arboretum | 0.4 mi | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Rockingham County Public Schools. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Turner Ashby High, with 998 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| John W. Wayland ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 526 | C+ |
| Turner Ashby HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 998 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within VA on state tests and graduation
Its widest gap with Virginia is utility shut-off threats: 4.5% of its 5,597 adults were threatened with a utility shut-off, against 7.1% statewide.
28% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Bridgewater. Bridgewater beats the Virginia average on 10 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 9.1% of adults smoke cigarettes in Bridgewater.
| Bridgewater | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 36% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 34% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 34% | 33% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 9.1% | 12% | 14% |
| What stands out | Bridgewater | VA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 4.5% | 7.1% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.2% | 11.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 8.7% | 7.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
At 7.1 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 96% of Virginia’s graded towns.
Bridgewater’s violent crime rate is 0.9 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
25.6% of residents are enrolled in college, against 6.9% statewide, which pulls the median age down.
Adults 35 to 64 are 22% of residents (39% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 39% of residents (23% statewide). 47% of Bridgewater adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. Bridgewater has grown 5% since 2020, to 6,924 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Bridgewater | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 31.4 years | 38.5 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 19% | 23% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 47% | 44% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 20% | 16% | 18% |
57% women, 43% men
About 76 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.6 points). Across Virginia, 50.6% of residents are women.
| Bridgewater | VA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 13.7% | 11.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.4% | 10.1% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 25.8% | 9.3% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.5% | 13.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.4% | 13.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 3.2% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.3% | 12.8% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.9% | 9.9% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.9% | 6.8% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.1% | 8.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 23% | 23.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.6% | 17.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5.5% | 7.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 29.5% | 23.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 17.2% | 18.5% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
January nights average 23.9°: milder than most of the country, but colder than 86% of Virginia places with climate records; July afternoons average 86.2°.
Bridgewater has chilly winters and warm summers. About 19 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Bridgewater | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 86°F | 88°F | 85°F |
| January low | 24°F | 26°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 2,427 working residents takes 15.3 minutes, against 27.3 across Virginia.
Most working residents leave Bridgewater for work: only 12% work in town. Jobs based in Bridgewater grew to 3,342 in 2023, 432 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Harrisonburg (28%), Dayton (3%) and Staunton (2%).
| Bridgewater | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 4.8% | 8% |
| Work from home | 11% | 18% | 11% |
| Median household income | $75,000 | $102,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 6.3% | 7.7% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Bridgewater grades A− overall with a typical home of about $374K, below the Virginia typical value; only 8 of the 38 Virginia towns graded A− or better can say that.
The typical Bridgewater home is worth about $374,000, up 0.7% in a year, 9% below the Virginia typical home.
| Bridgewater | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 60% | 68% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,216 a month | $1,764 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 53% of U.S. communities. Since 1985, 39 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Bridgewater.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Bridgewater. Close and well known come first.
13 mi National ParkShenandoah National Park1.7M visitors a year
25 mi ParkwayBlue Ridge Parkway16.5M visitors a year
32 mi CaveLuray Caverns29 mi Scenic driveSkyline Drive
8 mi National forestGeorge Washington and Jefferson National Forests
35 mi Stadium & arenaScott StadiumShenandoah National Park: Image copyright 2005 by user G. Edward Johnson (user Lorax) and released under t, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Blue Ridge Parkway: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Luray Caverns: Paulo Ordoveza from Washington, DC, CC BY 2.0 · Skyline Drive: Image copyright 2005 by user G. Edward Johnson (user Lorax) and released under t, CC BY-SA 3.0 · George Washington and Jefferson National Forests: Aneta Kaluzna, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Scott Stadium: Mak7912, CC BY-SA 3.0
4 within 15 miles of the center of Bridgewater
College town 26 of every 100 Bridgewater residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.
Town in Virginia, United States
Bridgewater is an incorporated town in Rockingham County, Virginia, United States. The population was 6,596 at the 2020 census. It is included in the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Bridgewater grades A− overall, better than 84% of U.S. towns and #88 of 249 in Virginia. It grades A for health, A− for safety and B− for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
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